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Songs of Farewell

Recordings

Composed towards the end of Parry’s life, the Songs of Farewell have taken on something of an epithetical interpretation; they are almost a musical summation of his compositional life, reflecting Parry’s love of English renaissance madrigals and p ...» More

Continuing Signum’s new partnership with Paul McCreesh and the Gabrieli Consort, their latest release is a recording of the groups renowned a cappella programme of music for mourning and consolation. This is a beautifully poignant programme of Bri ...» More

'It's a delightful disc … if there was a 'Critics' Fancy' it would be there sure enough' (Gramophone)'This is a delightfully nostalgic trip through English part-singing from the first half of the 20th century. The programme is deftly chosen and Laudib ...» More

'St Paul's is the king of cathedral choirs, and the sound of their singing, with the majesty of the organ in the awesome reverberance of the great bui ...'Truly heroic performances from the St Paul's Choir which is on top form. A memorable record' (Organists' Review)» More

'The performances are excellent, as are William McVicker's booklet-notes, and the great echo's presence is felt as friend, not foe' (Gramophone)'If this is Scott's swan song with the St Paul's Choir, it is a brilliant one. The choral tone and discipline are outstanding … The Hyperion engi ...» More

My soul, there is a country Far beyond the stars, Where stands a wingèd sentry, All skilful in the wars: There, above noise and danger, Sweet Peace sits crowned with smiles And One, born in a manger, Commands the beauteous files.

He is thy gracious friend, And – O my soul awake! – Did in pure love descend To die here for thy sake. If thou canst get but thither, There grows the flow’r of Peace, The Rose that cannot wither, Thy fortress, and thy ease.

Leave then thy foolish ranges, For none can thee secure, But One who never changes, Thy God, thy life, thy cure.

I know my soul hath power to know all things, Yet she is blind and ignorant in all: I know I’m one of Nature’s little kings, Yet, to the least and vilest things am thrall. I know my life’s a pain and but a span; I know my sense is mock’d in ev’rything; And, to conclude, I know myself a Man, Which is a proud and yet a wretched thing.

Never weatherbeaten sail more willing bent to shore, Never tired pilgrim’s limbs affected slumber more, Than my wearied sprite now longs to fly out of my troubled breast: O come quickly, sweetest Lord, and take my soul to rest! Ever blooming are the joys of Heaven’s high Paradise, Cold age deafs not there our ears nor vapour dims our eyes: Glory there the sun outshines; whose beams the blessed only see: O come quickly, glorious Lord, and raise my sprite to thee!

Thomas Campion (1567-1620)

Sir C Hubert H Parry (1848–1918) was one of the most important figures in late nineteenth-century English music. Parry’s role as a teacher and a writer was crucial; both he and Stanford were able to revitalize English music at a time when standards were low. Parry obtained his MusB degree whilst still at Eton, and before he went up to Exeter College, Oxford, one of his morning services had already been sung at Magdalen College. He was famous at school as a baritone and spent much of his time at Oxford playing sport. He found time to found the Oxford University Musical Club with C Harford Lloyd and studied privately with Sterndale Bennett and G A Macfarren. He also sampled the flavour of continental music, studying with the Englishman Henry Hugo Pierson in Stuttgart. After Oxford he worked for Lloyd’s Shipping, but continued his musical studies with Dannreuther who brought his work to the fore in 1880 when he played his Piano Concerto at the Crystal Palace.

Parry was appointed to the staff of the Royal College of Music in 1883 when it opened, succeeding Grove as its director the following year. In 1900 he succeeded Stainer as Professor of Music at Oxford. Parry made many contributions to musical literature as a scholar (especially in his later years), including an important work on J S Bach. Although Parry played the organ as a youth and wrote some important pieces for the instrument, the life of the cathedral musician never attracted him. He did contribute much to the cathedral repertoire and his music was quickly absorbed into the repertoires of the choral foundations.

Never weatherbeaten sail is the third of the six so-called Songs of Farewell. It is a setting of words by Thomas Campion (1567–1620) and was published in 1916. It is written in five continuous parts, each of which has independence; the result is finely-crafted texture.

There is an old belief, That on some solemn shore, Beyond the sphere of grief dear friends shall meet once more. Beyond the sphere of Time and Sin, and Fate’s control, Serene in changeless prime of body and soul. That creed I fain would keep, That hope I’ll ne’er forgo; Eternal be the sleep, If not to waken so.

There is an old belief, That on some solemn shore, Beyond the sphere of grief Dear friends shall meet once more. Beyond the sphere of Time and Sin And Fate’s control, Serene in changeless prime Of body and of soul. That creed I fain would keep That hope I’ll ne’er forgo, Eternal be the sleep, If not to waken so.

At the round earth’s imagined corners, blow Your trumpets, angels, and arise, arise From death, you numberless infinities Of souls, and to your scattered bodies go, All whom the flood did, and fire shall o’erthrow, All whom war, dearth, age, agues, tyrannies, Despair, law, chance, hath slain, and you whose eyes, Shall behold God, and never taste death’s woe. But let them sleep, Lord, and me mourn a space, For, if above all these, my sins abound, ’Tis late to ask abundance of thy grace, When we are there. Here on this lowly ground, Teach me how to repent; for that’s as good As if thou hadst sealed my pardon, with thy blood.

Lord, let me know mine end and the number of my days, That I may be certified how long I have to live. Thou hast made my days as it were a span long; And mine age is as nothing, in respect of Thee, and verily, every man living is altogether vanity, For man walketh in a vain shadow, And disquieteth himself in vain, he heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who shall gather them. And now Lord, what is my hope! Truly my hope is even in Thee. Deliver me from all mine offences And make me not a rebuke to the foolish. I became dumb and opened not my mouth for it was Thy doing. Take Thy plague away from me, I am even consumed by means of Thy heavy hand. When Thou with rebukes dost chasten man for sin, Thou makest his beauty to consume away, like as it were a moth, fretting a garment; every man therefore is but vanity. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and with Thine ears consider my calling, Hold not Thy peace at my tears! For I am a stranger with Thee and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. O spare me a little, that I may recover my strength before I go hence and be no more seen.

Lord, let me know mine end, and the number of my days: that I may be certified how long I have to live. Thou hast made my days as it were a span long: and mine age is as nothing in respect of thee; and verily every man living is altogether vanity. For man walketh in a vain shadow, and disquieteth himself in vain: he heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who shall gather them. And now, Lord, what is my hope: truly my hope is even in thee. Deliver me from all mine offences: and make me not a rebuke to the foolish. I became dumb, and opened not my mouth: for it was thy doing. Take thy plague away from me: I am even consumed by the means of thy heavy hand. When thou with rebukes dost chasten man for sin, thou makest his beauty to consume away, like as it were a moth fretting a garment: every man therefore is but vanity. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and with thine ears consider my calling: hold not thy peace at my tears. For I am a stranger with thee: and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. O spare me a little, that I may recover my strength: before I go hence, and be no more seen.

Psalm 39: 5-15

Sir C Hubert H Parry (1848–1918) was one of the most important figures in late nineteenth-century English music. Parry’s role as a teacher and a writer was crucial; both he and Stanford were able to revitalize English music at a time when standards were low. Parry obtained his Batchelor of Music degree whilst still at Eton, and, before he went up to Exeter College Oxford, one of his morning services had already been sung at Magdalen College. He earned fame at school as a baritone and spent much of his time at Oxford playing sport. He had time to found the Oxford University Musical Club with C Harford Lloyd and studied privately with Sterndale Bennett and G A Macfarren. He also sampled the flavour of Continental music, studying with the Englishman Henry Hugo Pierson in Stuttgart. After Oxford he worked for Lloyd’s Shipping, but continued his musical studies with Dannreuther, who brought his work to the fore in 1880 when he played his Piano Concerto at the Crystal Palace.

Parry was appointed to the staff of the Royal College of Music in 1883 when it opened, succeeding Grove as its director the following year. In 1900 he succeeded Stainer as professor of music at Oxford. Parry made many contributions to musical literature as a scholar (especially in his later years), including his important work on Bach. Although Parry played the organ as a youth and wrote some important pieces for the instrument, the life of the cathedral musician never attracted him. He composed much church music which was quickly absorbed into the repertoires of the choral foundations.

The motet for double choir Lord, let me know mine end is the last in the set of six pieces that form the Songs of Farewell. These motets were written between 1916 and 1918, towards the end of Parry’s life, and are among his most deeply felt works. The first five anthems in this collection are settings of words by the metaphysical poets, whereas the last sets a biblical text and contains ‘passages of rare beauty and imaginative insight’. It is fitting that this work should be chosen to represent the music of Parry; the final words are ‘before I go hence, and be no more seen’ and the composer is buried in the crypt of St Paul’s.

Lord, let me know mine end and the number of my days, That I may be certified how long I have to live. Thou hast made my days as it were a span long; And mine age is as nothing in respect of Thee, And verily, ev’ry man living is altogether vanity, For man walketh in a vain shadow And disquieteth himself in vain, He heapeth up riches and cannot tell who shall gather them. And now, Lord, what is my hope? Truly my hope is even in Thee. Deliver me from all mine offences And make me not a rebuke to the foolish. I became dumb and opened not my mouth For it was Thy doing. Take Thy plague away from me, I am even consumed by means of Thy heavy hand. When Thou with rebukes does chasten man for sin Thou makest his beauty to consume away Like as it were a moth fretting a garment; Ev’ry man therefore is but vanity. Hear my pray’r, O Lord And with Thy ears consider my calling, Hold not Thy peace at my tears! For I am a stranger with Thee and a sojourner As all my fathers were. O spare me a little, that I may recover my strength before I go hence And be no more seen.